Taiwan (Republic of China)
Taiwan’s Public Diplomacy Formal diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China on Taiwn (ROC)is under heavy constraints placed by the People’s Republic of Chinadue to its one China policy, effectively requiring the island’s public diplomacy efforts to play a significant role in furthering their international goals. Barred from the United Nations, Taiwan still manages to pervade global relations and play an increasingly prominent role in world economics. As a leading member of APEC, trade relations provide the island with a direct connection to much of the world. For example, in 2003, the European Union established the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan, thus establishing a formal linkage between the two partners. Taiwan’s Government Information Office (GIO) is the main government agency that oversees its public diplomacy. The GIO, through its 57 offices abroad, is responsible for clarifying national policy, publicizing government ordinances and administrative achievements, releasing important information abroad, actively developing overseas information and cultural projects, and strengthening cultural communication worldwide. In response to inaccurate foreign media reports about Taiwan, GIO’s overseas offices submit clarifications to the media to safeguard ROC’s national image. On the cultural diplomacy front, Taiwan is becoming a welcome place for international students studying Chinese and Asian regional studies. The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has been sending students from the US to study at National Chengchi University since 1993, located in Taipei. The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Taipei, created to support and promote the understanding of Chinese culture and society overseas. Established in 1989, the Foundation was created by several prominent professors of Chinese descent at major US universities, including Brown University, Princeton, and the University of Maryland, who were worried by the gradual decline of Asian regional and cultural studies. Today, the Foundation provides grants to scholars throughout the world looking to complete major research in the area. The Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains an active number of international training programs to provide support for developing nations seeking technical development and assistance. [http://www.icdf.org.tw/english/index.asp The International Cooperation and Development Fund provides formal support for such goals. Its primary mission is to strengthen international cooperation and enhance foreign relations by promoting economic development, social progress and human well-being in partner nations around the world. The Foreign Ministry also maintains a vigorous bid for formal UN recognition, and has recently released statements regarding the EU’s current Arms Embargo on China. Vital Information *Population - 23,036,087 (July 2006 est.) *Capital – Taipei *Government - Multiparty Democracy :*President Ma Ting-Jeou :*Vice President Vicent Siew :*Premier Liu Chao-Shiuan Government Agencies *Government Information Office *Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs *Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund *Mainland Affairs Council *E-Government Taiwan *Taipei Economic & Cultural Office, New York *Central News Agency Private Organizations * Taipei Times News Agency * China Post * Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange * Taiwan Foundation for Democracy Important Legislation *Taiwan Policy Review (1994) *Taiwan Relations Act (1979) International Broadcasting & Public Diplomacy Efforts *Taiwan Journal *Taiwan Review *Taiwan Panorama *Radio Taiwan International *Taiwan Announces Tourist Attraction Plan Public Opinion Polls *Cross-Strait Relations Blogs *The View from Taiwan *Taiwan Tiger *Scott Sommer’s Taiwan Blog :*also see Politics in Taiwan *Asia Tech Blog (Asia Technology in General) Other Resources * Taiwan’s Appeal to the EU on Arms Embargo of China. PbWinter 09:54, 6 Jun 2006 (PDT)